Castles & Palaces in France

The Palace of Versailles is the largest royal palace in the world by footprint and the supreme symbol of French absolute monarchy. Louis XIV transformed a hunting lodge into this vast château between 1661 and 1710, employing 36,000 workers at peak construction. The palace has 2,300 rooms spread across 63,154 square metres of floor space, with 67 grand staircases and 20,000 pieces of furniture. The Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces) stretches 73 metres and features 357 mirrors reflecting 20 gilded chandeliers — it was the site of the 1919 signing of the Treaty of Versailles ending World War I. The formal gardens, designed by André Le Nôtre, cover 800 hectares (nearly 2,000 acres) and contain 200,000 trees, 210,000 flowers planted each year, and 50 fountains fed by an aqueduct system. The palace was the seat of French royal power from 1682 until the Revolution in 1789, when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were forced to Paris.

The largest château in the Loire Valley with 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and a famous double-helix staircase possibly designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

The 'Ladies' Castle', spanning the River Cher with its iconic arched gallery. Shaped by six remarkable women including Catherine de' Medici.

One of the largest French royal châteaux, home to French monarchs from Louis VII to Napoleon III. Napoleon called it 'the true home of kings'.

A fortress-turned-prison on an island, immortalized in Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. Located in the Bay of Marseille.

The tallest medieval fortified structure in Europe at 52 meters, once a royal residence and state prison.

A double-walled medieval citadel with 52 towers spanning 3 kilometers. The largest and best-preserved fortified city in Europe.

Houses the Condé Museum with France's second-largest collection of old master paintings after the Louvre.

Famous for its spectacular Renaissance gardens — the most beautiful in France — with ornamental gardens, water gardens, and a kitchen garden.

A royal château on the Loire overlooking the river. Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years nearby and is buried in the château's chapel.

A Loire château unique for blending four architectural styles: Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance, and Classical. Home to seven kings and ten queens.

A medieval fortified abbey on a tidal island, appearing to float on water during high tide. One of France's most recognizable landmarks.

A jewel of French Renaissance architecture built on an island in the Indre River, reflected perfectly in the surrounding water.

A magnificent moated castle on the Loire, where Joan of Arc rested and Voltaire took refuge.

Known as the 'Sleeping Beauty Castle', this château inspired Charles Perrault's fairy tale. Its white turrets rise above the Indre Valley.

A royal palace that was a favorite of Napoleon I and Napoleon III. Where the WWI armistice was signed in 1918.

A medieval castle spectacularly restored by Viollet-le-Duc for Napoleon III. Used as a filming location for BBC's Merlin.

The château that inspired Versailles. Its owner Nicolas Fouquet threw a party so lavish that Louis XIV arrested him out of jealousy.

Contains the ruins of an earlier keep built in 994 — one of the very first stone donjons in France.

Château de Chinon is the historic fortress above the Vienne River in the Loire Valley where, in March 1429, the 17-year-old Joan of Arc first met the future King Charles VII — disguised among his courtiers — and identified him unerringly, convincing him to give her command of the French army. This pivotal encounter began the turning of the Hundred Years' War. The sprawling castle complex stretches 400 metres along a rocky spur and comprises three separate fortresses including the Château du Milieu (royal apartments), Fort Saint-Georges, and the Château du Coudray. Richard the Lionheart died in nearby Châlus in 1199 and his heart was likely buried in Chinon. The Musée Jeanne d'Arc within the castle tells the complete story of the Maid of Orléans.

Birthplace of King Henry IV of France, who ended the French Wars of Religion with the Edict of Nantes.

The official summer residence of the French President, surrounded by 30,000 acres of forest.

Described by Balzac as 'a faceted diamond set in the Indre'. A perfect example of early French Renaissance architecture.